Rail-joint.



A. R. BERRYMAN.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 12, 1909.

Patented May 3,1910.

rality 0 ABRAHAM R. BERRYMAN, OF EAST ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 3, 1910.

Application filed August 12, 1909. Serial No. 512,485.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, i-knnmmiu R. BERRY- MAN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at East Altoona, in the county of Blair and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to rail joints, and the object of the invention is to provide simple and efl'ect-ive means for connecting the confronting ends of two rails, whereby said rails cannot become laterally or vertically displaced relative to each other, thereby eliminating all danger of the derailment and wreck of rolling stock-caused by the spreading or displacement of one rail relative to another.

Another object of this invention is to provide novel means for fastening bolts in the splice bars of the rail joint, the means being fully Shielded and protected whereby it will be practically impossible for the fastened end of the bolts to be sheared or cut off by wheel flanges, brake rigging or other )a-rts that might contact with that part 0 the fastener which is exposed.

A further object of this invention is to provide a strong and durable. rail connection that allows for expansion and contraction, the rail connection being easily installed by unskilled labor and maintained in condition without the use of track-walkers or. in-

spectors.

With the above and'other objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawing :Figure 1 is a side elevationof' the rail joint, Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view,

Fig. .1 is a perspective view of a portion of one of the splice bars, Fig. 5 is a plan of abolt forming part of the rail joint, Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a key, and Fig. 7 is an end view of the bolt.

In the drawing 1 denotes the abutting ends of'two rails, said rails having the web portions thereof provided with openings 2 and '3 and d des nate splice bars bracing the sides of the ra'i' s 1.

The s lice-bar 3 .is provided with a Ttransversie openings 5 adapte aline with the openings 2. The outer face of the splice bar 3 is recessed adjacent to the openings 5 to provide oblong seats 6 for the heads '7 of bolts 8 adapted to extend through the openings 5 and 2. The opposite ends of the bolts 8 are provided with longitudinal slots or openings 9 and the outer end walls of these openings are beveled, as at 10, for a purpose that will hereinafter appear.

The splice bar 4 has the outer vertical face thereof provided with an enlargement 11 approximately the same length and depth as the vertical outer face of the splice bar 1. The top and end edges of the enlargement 11 are beveled, as at 12 to deflect any object that might contact with the enlargement 11, while the bottom edge of the enlargement 11 is parallel uith a longitudinal off-set portion 13 of the splice bar 4,. to form a longitudinal groove 14 to provide clearance for the split ends .of keys, as will hereinafter appear.

The splice bar 1t and the enlargement 11 are provided with transverse openings 15 adapted to alinc with the openings 2 and 5 and receive theslotted ends of thebolts 8. Each one of the openings 15 is intersected by a vertical groove 16 which alines with the slot 9 of each bolt. In each groove is driven a tapering key 1'7 having the tapered end'thereof provided with a head .18 and the lower end thereof split or slitted, as at 19. After the key is driven into the groove 16 and through the slot 9 of the bolt 8, the split end of the key which extends into the groove 14 is opened. or spread to lock the key in the enlargement 11 and the bolt 8'. The sprcading-or openin of the split end of the key is accomplished by a suitable instrument.

It will'be observed that when the keys 17 are driven into the slots 10 and Q'that the While in the drawing there is illustratedwhat I believe to be a practical embodiment of my invention, still Iwould have it understood that the structural elements thereof are susceptible to variations Wltlmnt departing from the spirit of the lnventlon.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, is

In a rail joint, the combination with rails, of splice bars bracing the sides of said rails, one of said splice bars having the outer vertical face thereof-provided with an enlargement, said enlargement having the top' and end edges thereof beveled and the lower edge spaced from the lateral portion of said splice bar to form a. longitudinal groove, said splice bar and Said enlargement having openings formed therein, said enlargement having vertical slots intersecting said openof said enlargement and said bolts andadapted to have the ends thereof spread in the groove formed by the bottom edge of said enlargement and the lateral portion of the'splice bar, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

ABRAHAM It. BERRYMAN. Witnesses:

PAUL I'IAINES, CHARLES W. HURT). 

